thedrifter
05-14-07, 08:33 AM
May 14, 2007 - 12:00AM
Marines making progress in Iraq
CHRISSY VICK
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Sgt. Maj. Doug Castle oversees 19,000 service members in Iraq. His area spans from the Jordanian to the Syrian border and every city from Fallujah west.
That's a big job.
But it's one that he said makes him proud of the Marines, sailors and soldiers who are making daily progress in the war.
"As each challenge comes up they're grasping it, taking it and providing momentum necessary for the transition piece," said Castle, sergeant major of II Marine Expeditionary Force ground combat element.
"Along with that transition is to assist the Iraqi people, which includes the police and the army and the population itself. Everything is to get them to that next level, and they're doing a remarkable job in doing that."
The next level - and the main goal of II MEF - is handing over operations to the Iraqi police and army. Castle said he sees improvements weekly.
"The key to this transition would be the Iraqi police - we've seen a growth in recruiting," he said. "We've seen a waiting list now for the recruits to go through the Iraqi Police Academy and that wasn't the case when we got here."
Since II MEF, headquartered at Camp Fallujah, took over combat operations from I MEF from California earlier this year, there have been a number of changes.
"I MEF did a fabulous job of laying the groundwork and getting that momentum started," Castle said. "All we did was get the handoff from them and carry that ball forward."
There are now police in every city from Fallujah west, which was not the case in January, he said.
"That's huge," Castle said. "It's called momentum and keeping that momentum going - it is continued by the Marines out there in all of these cities."
One of the key pieces is the transition teams, he said. The military transition teams work with the Iraqi army, while the police transition teams work directly with the Iraqi police.
"They live with them, work with them, go out on the road with them and that's very important," he said. "Those are the folks that are teaching the Iraqi police how to be Iraqi police where it's going to work, where the people accept them."
For the first time, Castle recently saw Iraqi children running alongside an Iraqi police truck and yelling and waving, like they have done on numerous occasions to U.S. Humvees, he said.
"That's what we need to see more of because they're gaining respect," Castle said. "That's keeping insurgents out of the city because they're trusting the police."
And that progress is keeping the Marines and sailors in high spirits, he said. Castle and the commanding general visit the Marines regularly.
"We keep an overnight bag packed and we're on the road a lot - like an embedded reporter who goes city to city or unit to unit," Castle said.
They travel to various units and cities visiting Marines, sailors and soldiers to evaluate their mission and progress and make sure they're taken care of.
"When the Marines tell us 'Absolutely we're making a difference and this is why,' we know it," he said. "I could find one that is disgruntled, but are you going to focus on the 10 percent or the 90 percent?"
Morale is so high because troops understand "the things they've been fortunate enough to have as an American," and know their role in Iraq, Castle said.
"What keeps them going is that they do see the progress, they do talk to the people," he said. "They're the ones knocking on the doors and talking to the people."
II MEF's next goal is to move even closer to the transition.
"We would like to find ourselves in more of an advisory role as time goes on, to see more people waving at their police like I saw yesterday," Castle said. "We want to find the Iraqi army in more of a traditional army role outside of the city."
Ellie
Marines making progress in Iraq
CHRISSY VICK
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Sgt. Maj. Doug Castle oversees 19,000 service members in Iraq. His area spans from the Jordanian to the Syrian border and every city from Fallujah west.
That's a big job.
But it's one that he said makes him proud of the Marines, sailors and soldiers who are making daily progress in the war.
"As each challenge comes up they're grasping it, taking it and providing momentum necessary for the transition piece," said Castle, sergeant major of II Marine Expeditionary Force ground combat element.
"Along with that transition is to assist the Iraqi people, which includes the police and the army and the population itself. Everything is to get them to that next level, and they're doing a remarkable job in doing that."
The next level - and the main goal of II MEF - is handing over operations to the Iraqi police and army. Castle said he sees improvements weekly.
"The key to this transition would be the Iraqi police - we've seen a growth in recruiting," he said. "We've seen a waiting list now for the recruits to go through the Iraqi Police Academy and that wasn't the case when we got here."
Since II MEF, headquartered at Camp Fallujah, took over combat operations from I MEF from California earlier this year, there have been a number of changes.
"I MEF did a fabulous job of laying the groundwork and getting that momentum started," Castle said. "All we did was get the handoff from them and carry that ball forward."
There are now police in every city from Fallujah west, which was not the case in January, he said.
"That's huge," Castle said. "It's called momentum and keeping that momentum going - it is continued by the Marines out there in all of these cities."
One of the key pieces is the transition teams, he said. The military transition teams work with the Iraqi army, while the police transition teams work directly with the Iraqi police.
"They live with them, work with them, go out on the road with them and that's very important," he said. "Those are the folks that are teaching the Iraqi police how to be Iraqi police where it's going to work, where the people accept them."
For the first time, Castle recently saw Iraqi children running alongside an Iraqi police truck and yelling and waving, like they have done on numerous occasions to U.S. Humvees, he said.
"That's what we need to see more of because they're gaining respect," Castle said. "That's keeping insurgents out of the city because they're trusting the police."
And that progress is keeping the Marines and sailors in high spirits, he said. Castle and the commanding general visit the Marines regularly.
"We keep an overnight bag packed and we're on the road a lot - like an embedded reporter who goes city to city or unit to unit," Castle said.
They travel to various units and cities visiting Marines, sailors and soldiers to evaluate their mission and progress and make sure they're taken care of.
"When the Marines tell us 'Absolutely we're making a difference and this is why,' we know it," he said. "I could find one that is disgruntled, but are you going to focus on the 10 percent or the 90 percent?"
Morale is so high because troops understand "the things they've been fortunate enough to have as an American," and know their role in Iraq, Castle said.
"What keeps them going is that they do see the progress, they do talk to the people," he said. "They're the ones knocking on the doors and talking to the people."
II MEF's next goal is to move even closer to the transition.
"We would like to find ourselves in more of an advisory role as time goes on, to see more people waving at their police like I saw yesterday," Castle said. "We want to find the Iraqi army in more of a traditional army role outside of the city."
Ellie